Improved sheet handling apparatus

ABSTRACT

An improved sheet transport mechanism to facilitate the removal of jams occurring along the sheet transport path of a sorting apparatus. The sorting apparatus comprises one or more modules having a plurality of trays for storing sheet material and deflector members associated with each of the trays when actuated to route the sheet material from the transport mechanism into a corresponding tray. The improvement resides in mounting the transport mechanism in such a manner as to enable camming the transport mechanism away from the trays and also in a direction away from the movement of the sheet material into the trays. Cam plate members are located at the top and bottom portions of the transport mechanism and camming members are located in the lower plates on an axis eccentric that of the camming members, the transport mechanism is displaced away from the trays and in a direction against the movement of the sheet material into the trays to facilitate the removal of the jam occurring in the movement of the sheet material along the sheet path.

United States Patent Schenk Mar. 14, 1972 [54] IMPROVEITS H EET HANDLING APPARATUS [72] Inventor: Richard C. Schenk, West Webster, N.Y.

[7 3] Assignee: Xerox Corporation, Rochester, N.Y.

Primary ExaminerJoseph Wegbreit Attorney-James J. Ralabate, Norman E. Schrader and Melvin A. Klein [5 7] ABSTRACT An improved sheet transport mechanism to facilitate the removal of jams occurring along the sheet transport path of a sorting apparatus. The sorting apparatus comprises one or more modules having a plurality of trays for storing sheet material and deflector members associated with each of the trays when actuated to route the sheet material from the transport mechanism into a corresponding tray. The improvement resides in mounting the transport mechanism in such a manner as to enable camming the transport mechanism away from the trays and also in a direction away from the movement of the sheet material into the trays. Cam plate members are located at the top and bottom portions of the transport mechanism and camming members are located in the lower plates on an axis eccentric that of the camming members, the transport mechanism is displaced away from the trays and in a direction against the movement of the sheet material into the trays to facilitate the removal of the jam occurring in the movement of the sheet material along the sheet path.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures Patented March 14, 1972 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR RICHARD C. SCHENK AT7DR/VEY Patented March 14, 1972 3,649,006

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

Patented March 14, 1972 3,649,006

3 Sheets-Sheet 5 IMPROVED SHEET HANDLING APPARATUS The invention relates to a sheet sorting apparatus and in particular to an improvement to facilitate the removal of jams occurring during the movement of sheet material through the sorting apparatus.

In sheet sorting mechanisms of the type wherein idler rollers are held in pressure contact with a belt transport which is moved along a path to route sheet material into trays if a jam or machine malfunction occurs, the removal of sheet material stopped in the transport is extremely difficult due to limited access through the transport mechanism. As a result, it is necessary to shut the machine processor down for long periods of time to remove the sheet material which often is destroyed by creasing or tearing during removal from the transport mechanism.

The present invention is to improve upon sheet handling mechanisms in general by facilitating a removal of jams occurring therein and is especially intended as an improvement over the sorting apparatus and transport mechanism described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,484,101 to Cassano.

It is therefore an object of this invention to improve the transport of sheet material.

It is another object of the present invention to facilitate the removal of jams occurring in a sheet material sorting apparatus to minimize machine down time.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a sheet material sorting apparatus capable of transporting sheet material into a series of trays while enabling the removal of sheet material jammed along the transport path in a simplified manner.

These and other objects of the invention are achieved in general by supporting the sheet transport mechanism on a displaceable axis so as to enable movement as a unit of the transport mechanism from contact with the sorting components of the apparatus to a position in a direction away from the trays and away from the direction in which the sheet material is being moved along its path.

Still other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of an embodiment of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the sheet sorting apparatus showing first and second sorter modules;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the sorting apparatus with parts broken away showing details of one of the sorter modules;

FIG. 3 is an end view showing the sheet input transport of the first sorter module;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view of the sheet transport mechanism illustrating in particular the cam actuating components for displacing the sheet transport mechanism according to the present invention;

FIG. 4a is an enlarged side view similar to FIG. 4 illustrating the cam actuating components and sheet transport mechanism in the displaced position, and

FIG. 5 is a side view of one of the cam actuating members illustrating further details thereof.

Referring now to FIGS. l-3 of the drawings, there is shown sorting apparatus typical for use with the present invention. In the exemplary showing of the drawings, sorting apparatus 10 includes series connected first and second sorter modules 12, 14, respectively, arranged to receive copy sheets to be sorted from a suitable reproducing machine (not shown). The input to sorting apparatus I0 normally comprises conventional paper sheets usually rectangular in shape and of various size, weight, and thickness. Other types of sheet material such as film, cards, etc. are, however, contemplated. It will be understood that additional sorter modules may be added to obtain requisite sorter capacity but that the two illustrated are sufficient for purposes of explaining the present invention.

Sorter modules 12, 14 each have a transfer section 15 and a separating or receiving section 16. In sorter module 12, transfer section 15 includes input transport 18 for receiving documents discharged by the document producing apparatus with which sorting apparatus 10 is used, intermediate transport 20, and discharge transport 22. In sorter module 14, input transport 18 is omitted with the sheets entering sorter module 14 at the bottom thereof between intermediate transport con- 5 veyor 54 and pinch rolls 34. Separating section I6 includes a plurality of upwardly inclined trays or receptacles 24 for receiving and holding the sheets. It will be noted that trays 24 are canted slightly to enhance sheet registration.

Sorter modules l2, 14 each include a base 25, top 26, plural side frame members 27 at one end, and side wall 28 at the opposite end thereof. Cross members 29 project between frame members 30 and wall 28 parallel to and slightly above base 26. Additional frame members 30 extend parallel to frame members 27 between cross members 29 and top 26. To facilitate moving sorter modules 12, 14 wheels 31 may be attached to base 26 thereof. Input transport 18 of first sorter module 12 comprises a belt-type conveyor 33 with cooperating pinch rolls 34. Conveyor 33 includes plural feed belts 36 supported on rolls 37. Rolls 37 are carried by shafts 38 journaled in sides 40 of conveyor 33. Conveyor sides 40 may be suitably secured to pinch roll side supports 42 which in turn are secured to module frame members 27, 30. A roll carrying shaft 39 is extended to carry conveyor drive pulley 44. Drive belt 45 operably connects motor 46 with pulley 44 to drive conveyor 33. Pinch rolls 34 are releasably held in contact with conveyor feed belts 36 at spaced points along the working surface thereof by wirelike members 49 supported on cross legs 48. Fingerlike document deflectors 52 are supported on shaft 53 journaled for limited rotation in sides 40 of conveyor 33. Deflectors 52, when in raised position route documents downwardly to intermediate transport 20.

Intermediate transport includes a belt-type conveyor 54 with cooperating pinch rolls 34 spaced along the outer downwardly moving side and at the base thereof, and cooperating pinch rollers 58 spaced along the inner upwardly moving side thereof. Conveyor 54 includes an upper roll support shaft 59 and a lower roll support shaft 61 journaled in sides 60 of conveyor 54. The shafts 59 and 61 support conveyor feed belts 63. Lower shaft 61 of conveyor 54 is extended and a drive gear 64 is mounted thereon. Drive gear 64 is driven through a drive belt 65 with motor 66. Outer pinch rolls 34 for conveyor 54 are arranged in slotlike openings in longitudinal channels 69. Rolls 34 are resiliently held and journaled in contact with feed belts 63 by means of support members 49 attached to frame cross legs 71. Channels 69 have curved upper portions to define, in cooperation with feed belts 63, a transition path to turn the documents carried by conveyor 54 from a vertical to a horizontal direction. The upper portions of channels 69 are also curved to cooperate with deflectors 52 when depressed to form a transition path for routing sheets from input conveyor 33 to conveyor 54. Lower pinch rolls 34, which contact belts 63 of intermediate conveyor 54 adjacent the bottom thereof are similarly journaled by members 49 attached to discharge transport frame 86.

Inner pinch rollers 58 are rotatably supported in guides 74 adjacent the inlet to each tray 24. Rollers 58, which are biased and journaled into contact with belts 63 by spring members cooperate with deflectors 80 to route sheets into trays 24.

The angle of inclination of trays 24 is critical, it being understood that where the angle of inclination is too great, the sheets, which are normally paper, may sag or buckle, or may not completely pass between guides 74 into the trays. Where, however, the angle of inclination is too small, sheets may not slide sufficiently to contact the guide 74 and registration is not completed. The velocity at which sheets are fed into trays 24, static electric charges on the sheets themselves which tend to cause the sheets to stick to one another, and the weight of the sheets also affect the choice of tray angle inclination. To forestall sheet sag and bucking while assuring sheet registration at relatively high sheet velocities, trays 24 are inclined at an angle of substantially 35 to the horizontal. Trays 24 are additionally tilted or canted downwardly in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of tray inclination toward an upstanding side wall. Sheets fed onto trays 24 accordingly tend to move angularly across trays 24, first in a generally upward direction under the impetus of conveyor 54 and thereafter in a generally downward direction under the influence of gravity until the lower side and bottom edges of the sheet contact the upstanding side wall of tray 24 and guide 74, respectively. Through this arrangement, an adjacent side and bottom edge of the sheets in each tray are brought into common registration with one another. It is believed that the foregoing description is sufficient for an understanding of the operation of the sorting apparatus for purposes of the present invention. For a more detailed explanation of the sorting apparatus above reference is made to the U.S, Pat. No. 3,484,101.

In accordance with the present invention, belt conveyor 54, which moves sheets into the trays 24 in cooperation with deflectors 80, is displaceable in a direction toward and away from the trays and also toward and away from the sheet path entering the inlet side of the trays as will become more apparent. As best shown in FIGS. 4 and 4a, the belt conveyor lower shaft 61 at the bottom is formed as a tubular hollow member to receive a rod member 107. Upper shaft 59 is supported on the ends by a pair of cam plates 110 secured to' the upper part of the frame. Each of the cam plates 110 has an arcuate opening 112 formed therein for a purpose to be described. Secured to the ends of rod member 107 are a pair of actuating cam members 115 which are received in cam plate members 118 secured to the lower portion of the frame. Actuating cam members 115 are formed with a generally circular shape except for two flattened portions 121, 123 which are displaced approximately 90 apart. It will be noted that cam plates 118 have a generally circular opening 120 except for a single flattened portion 125 which is located on the bottom side of the opening. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 4a, the fit of the cam members 115 within cam plates 118 is sufficiently loose to enable the curved portions of the cams to pass flattened portions 125. It will be further noted that rod member 107 is on an axis which is eccentric to the axis of the actuating cam members 115.

Upon rotational movement of the actuating cam members through a lever arm 130, registration of a different one of the flattened portions 121 and 123 of the cam members is effected with the flattened portion 125 of the cam plates 118. As a result, the belt conveyor is moved upwardly and outwardly away from the trays 24 and away from the direction in which the sheets are conveyed into the trays thereby enabling any jammed sheets to be removed by hand without causing damage to the components of the sorting apparatus or to the sheets. it will now be appreciated that as the actuating cam members 115 are rotated, the belt conveyor carried on shafts 59 and 61 will slide in an arcuate path defined by opening 112 and the circular contour of cam plate members 118 so as to enable the entire conveyor belt to be displaced uniformly toward and away from the direction of sheet travel into the trays 24. When lever arm 130 is rotated in a clockwise direction, flattened portion 123 of actuating cam member 115 is returned into its resting position on flattened portion 125 of cam plate 118 with the aid of the action ofa dampening spring (FIG. 5) connected to a pin member 136 on one of the actuating cam members and a pin member 138 located on the associated cam plate member 118.

Above is described an apparatus utilizing a unique sheet transport mechanism which is displaceable so as to enable movement of the transport from contact with the trays of the sorting apparatus thereby enabling sheet material which has beenjammed along the transport path to be removed in a simplified manner. Moreover, the new and improved transport mechanism enables components of the sorting apparatus to be removed and replaced without requiring a great deal of down time of the machine processor associated with the sorting apparatus. It will be readily appreciated that such a device is greatly desirable for reproducing processing machines which have high volume outputs requiring a sorting operation.

Needless to say, the down time of such machine processors increases the cost of operation as well as detracting from the overall operation of the machine.

What is claimed is:

1. In a sheet sorting apparatus of the type including a belt transport arranged for movement past a plurality of trays in which a deflector member is associated with each of said trays and adapted when actuated to route a sheet carried by said belt transport into a corresponding tray, the improvement comprising a frame,

a pair of first cam plate members connected to said frame for supporting one portion of said belt transport, a pair of second cam plate members spaced from said first members and also connected to said frame for supporting a spaced portion of said belt transport camming members being supported in each of said second cam plate members and connected by a support member extending therebetween which is coaxially received in a hollow supporting member of said belt transport,

said camming members having an axis eccentric with that of the support member, and

an actuating member for moving said camming members relative to said second cam plate so that upon movement thereof said entire belt transport is moved in a direction laterally away from said trays and also away from the direction in which the sheets are conveyed to said trays.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first cam plate members are formed with an arcuate opening which supports a rod member supporting the corresponding portion of said belt transport.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 including a spring bias member connected between the frame and one of said camming members to effect a biasing action against movement of said camming members in a direction away from its axis along the sheet path.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said hollow member comprises a driven member for moving said belt transport along its path. 

1. In a sheet sorting apparatus of the type including a belt transport arranged for movement past a plurality of trays in which a deflector member is associated with each of said trays and adapted when actuated to route a sheet carried by said belt transport into a corresponding tray, the improvement comprising a frame, a pair of first cam plate members connected to said frame for supporting one portion of said belt transport, a pair of second cam plate members spaced from said first members and also connected to said frame for supporting a spaced portion of said belt transport, camming members being supported in each of said second cam plate members and connected by a support member extending therebetween which is coaxially received in a hollow supporting member of said belt transport, said camming members having an axis eccentric with that of the support member, and an actuating member for moving said camming members relative to said second cam plate so that upon movement thereof said entire belt transport is moved in a direction laterally away from said trays and also away from the direction in which the sheets are conveyed to said trays.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first cam plate members are formed with an arcuate opening which supports a rod member supporting the corresponding portion of said belt transport.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 2 including a spring bias member connected between the frame and one of said camming members to effect a biasing action against movement of said camming members in a direction away froM its axis along the sheet path.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said hollow member comprises a driven member for moving said belt transport along its path. 